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Cellular phone frequencies used in Japan

So, the first thing you need to know is if your cellphone is compatible in Japan.

First, there’s no 2G GSM cellphone company in Japan. If your phone is a simple talk-only or talk-and-text cheap feature phone, it may not work in Japan even if you’re going to use it on the international roaming plan from your own non-Japanese carrier. You need a 3G compatible phone in Japan.

There’re 3 major cellphone companies in Japan; NTT Docomo, Softbank, and KDDI au. If you’re from the United States of America visiting Japan and your phone is from AT&T or T-Mobile US, your phone will probably work on NTT Docomo (W-CDMA/UMTS 2100MHz or 850/800MHz) or Softbank (W-CDMA/UMTS 2100MHz) signals while roaming there, provided that your phone is compatible with 3G 2100MHz frequency. If you’re from the USA and your phone is from Verizon or Sprint, your phone will work on NTT Docomo (W-CDMA/UMTS 2100MHz or 850/800MHz) or Softbank (W-CDMA/UMTS 2100MHz) or KDDI au (CDMA2000 800MHz only) signals in Japan. If you’re from any other countries and your phone is a 3G W-CDMA/UMTS compatible phone, it will work with NTT Docomo or Softbank signals.

Here’s the list of cellphone frequencies used by 3 cellphone companies and their subsidiaries/group companies in Japan.

2100MHz Band 11800MHz (1.7GHz) Band 3(*)900MHz Band 8TD-LTE 2.5GHz Band 41(*)

E-Access (e-mobile)(Softbank)

None used

1700MHz (Band 9)

1800MHz (1.7GHz) Band 3

WCP(Softbank)

None used

None used

TD-LTE 2.5GHz Band 41

Willcom(Softbank)

None used

1900MHz PHS

None used

KDDI au

None used

CDMA2000 800MHzCDMA2000 2100MHz

2100MHz Band 11500MHz Band 11800MHz Band 18TD-LTE 2.5GHz Band 41(**)

UQ Communications(KDDI au)

None used

None used

WiMAXTD-LTE 2.5GHz Band 41 (WiMAX2+)

(*) E-Access, WCP, Willcom are the subsidiaries of Softbank. They may roam frequencies each other.
(**) UQ Communications Inc. is a KDDI group company. KDDI may offer UQ’s data service to KDDI customers.

In addition, there’re several MVNOs which use NTT Docomo’s signal, such as b-mobile, IIJ, etc. And, there’s one MVNO that uses KDDI au’s signal; K-Opticom’s “mineo” brand. I’ll talk about the MVNOs in Japan on a separate article later.

Good articles. It pointed out which companies would mostly be compatible with our 3G phones, but I’m wondering how about 4G? Are Docomo and Softbank again most likely to work with our phones, more than KDDI au? I often heard KDDI au has a different network and wondered if their phones would work here in Canada. If not, I would take one from Docomo or Softbank.

Most Japanese Android smartphones are not compatible with the LTE frequencies used in US/Canada. They would not connect to US/Canada’s LTE.
A few Chinese-made “SIM-free” Android smartphones sold through their web sites or non-carrier cellphone shops (but not by any Japanese 3 major carriers) have LTE frequencies used in US/Canada, especially Band 4. So, it may work here in USA/Canada.
iPhones and iPads sold in Japan have no problem connecting to LTE in USA/Canada, because Apple’s models have almost same frequency specifications worldwide.
A KDDI phone will work in USA/Canada (and everywhere in most of the world) connecting to 3G W-CDMA/UMTS because the phone would have to have 3G W-CDMA/UMTS for the ability to roam internationally, even though their native 3G cell technology in Japan is CDMA2000 which is the same 3G technology used by Verizon and Sprint in USA. An Android smartphone sold by KDDI may not work with LTE in USA/CANADA. Of course, an iPhone sold by KDDI will connect to LTE in USA/Canada.

On the other hand, if you bring the US or Canadian phones to Japan, most smartphones sold recently in North America are compatible with Band 1 2100MHz LTE because it is the most dominant LTE frequencies used in Asia and Europe. So, they can be used in Japan for LTE connection.

Is Oneplus 6 phone compatible in Japan for all telecom companies? Actually, I am an Indian resident and buy Oneplus 6 phone, and I will be going to Japan in a few months, so I want to know whether this phone will work in JAPAN or not?

Great list. Always difficult to find the exact frequencies in Japan. With such an entrenched mobile industry, it’s easy for the manufacturers to protect their business by using non-standard mobile bands, in the same way that the USA did by adopting NTSC TV. So much for global harmonisation!

Technically, Verizon’s version of Motorola Z Droid works in Japan.
However, it is only compatible with 3G 2100MHz and 4G(LTE) 2100MHz, meaning that your internet speed may be slow in the congested area.
And, because your Motorola Z Droid does not have the Japanese technical standard mark, called Giteki Mark, 3 largest Japanese cellphone companies will not give you a SIM card, meaning that you can not have a cellphone contract with these 3 large cellphone companies in Japan.
You can try other prepaid SIM companies which use Docomo’s signal, like Rakuten Mobile, U-mobile, Biglobe, IIJmio, LINEmobile, OCN mobile one, nuro mobile and so on, which are tolerate with non-Giteki cellphones.

In the long run, I would recommend that you buy either an iPhone, which is compatible most with world’s signals, or an Android phone in Japan which you may have a problem in reverse when you visit USA for a short time because Japanese Android phones have limited compatibility with US signals.

Hello, does Sony Xperia SP c5302 work in Japan? I have been using this phone for 4 years and still good, that’s why I still have it. I’m going to Japan in a few weeks, so I wonder if my phone will work there. Thank you!